Synopsis: Infatuated with a man being held prisoner by her step father. A crime bosses step daughter makes her step father an offer he cannot refuse. With the deal in place she sets in motion a diabolical plan that involves the beheading of the man she is infatuated with. To complicate matters her step father initially refuses to grant her wish. That is until he starts to lose face with his contemporaries, who eventually force him to follow through no matter what the consequences may bring.

The story of Salome can be traced as far back as The New Testament. The story of Salome would take on a new form with Oscar Wilde’s 1891 play which depicts her as a Femme Fatale. And while there have been many variations of the Salome character over the years. The incarnation of Salome that this film draws most from is Oscar Wilde’s.

To say that this is a minimalistic retelling of Salome would not be an understatement. Besides a simplistic, straight forward narrative that is propelled by a deliberate pacing. Another area in which this film enforces it’s less is more mantra include use of one primary location, a wherehouse that has been converted into a nightclub.

And while there are many areas in which this film overindulges in minimalism. The one area in which this film really stretches its creative wings are its atmospheric visuals. Most notably the ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’ sequence.

Performance wise the only cast member that leaves any lasting impression is its leading lady Carolina Felline in the role of Salome. She more than holds her own and then some in the role of an alluring seductress. Overall outside of a few interesting moments, Call Me Salome is a modern spin on a familiar story that does not fully realize its lofty ambitions.

The DVD:

Call me Salome is presented in an anamorphic widescreen that preserves type film’s original 2.35:1 ‘scope’ aspect ratio. Outside of a few minor instances in which darker scenes look a tad too soft. The image generally look crisp. Colors and flesh tones look accurate and the image remains stable throughout.

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital stereo mix in Italian and removable English subtitles have been included with this release. The audio sounds clear and balanced throughout.

Extras for this release include a trailer for the film (2 minutes 13 seconds – letterboxed widescreen, in Italian with no English subtitles) and a image gallery. Overall Call me Salome gets a good audio / video presentation from Mya Communication.